Nile Civilizations-3 Mrs. Cox Paisley IB World History

Vocabulary  1. delta  2. cataracts  3. Menes  4. pharaoh  5. theocracy  6. bureaucracy  7. Hatshepsut  8. Ramses the Great

Vocabulary  9. obelisks  10. mummification  11. hieroglyphics  12. papyrus  13. Rosetta Stone  14. Piankhi  15. smelt

Questions  1. Why did Egyptian civilization depend on the Nile River?  2. What were the powers of Old Kingdom pharaohs?  3. What is the term for this form of government? (refers to question 2)  4. How did the Old Kingdom’s collapse affect Egypt?  5. What event marked the beginning of the New Kingdom? 6. Name the New Kingdom pharaohs. Which pharaoh changed Egypt’s form of religion?

Questions  7. What event brought an end to Egypt’s independence?  8. What were the two purposes of Egyptian temples. Who performed religious rituals?  9.Why do you think pharaohs were buried with so many objects?  10. Who made up the upper class in Egyptian society?  11. Why was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone important?

Questions  12. What were Nubia’s main exports?  13. Why was farming difficult in Nubia?  14. When did Kush take over all of Nubia and why?  15. What Egyptian customs were adopted by the Kushites?  16. After the blending of Egyptian and Kushites culture what did the Kushites keep?  17. What natural resources were found in Meroe? Which of these resources was the most valuable?

Geography and Early Egypt  The Nile River is the longest river in the world, and the most important physical feature in Egypt. Without its waters, no one could live there. Egyptian civilization depended on the Nile for two main reasons. People farmed the fertile soil called silt that was left behind when the river flooded. The best soil was found in the delta, the area at the mouth of the river that is made up of silt deposits.

Geography and Early Egypt  The Nile also protected the Egyptians from invasion. Its cataracts, or rocky stretches marked by rapid currents and waterfalls, kept invaders’ boats out.  The early Egyptians formed two kingdoms. Lower Egypt, in the north, occupied most of the Nile Delta, where the climate was mild. Upper Egypt lay along the river’s southern upper stretches. The two kingdoms were first unified around 3100 BC.

Geography and Early Egypt  According to legend, this happened when Menes a ruler from Upper Egypt, conquered the north. Menes founded the first of Egypt’s 31 dynasties.

The Old Kingdom  The Old Kingdom in Egypt was period of stable rule that began in about 2650 BC and lasted for 500 years.  Most of the Egyptian pyramids were built during the Old Kingdom. The pyramids served as tombs for Egypt’s rulers. Pyramids were designed by architects and built by professional craftspeople and decorated by artists. Peasants provided most of the labor, not slaves.

The Old Kingdom  Egypt’s government also took shape during the Old Kingdom. The pharaoh, or king, was believed to be a god in human form. Pharaohs had absolute power, owned all the land, and acted as judges and leaders of the army. The government was a theocracy, a state ruled by religious figures. To aid him in ruling, the pharaoh was surrounded by a bureaucracy, a highly- structured organization managed by officials.

The Middle Kingdom  The government of the Old Kingdom collapsed around 2100 BC. Afterward, the country suffered from economic problems, invasions, and civil wars. In about 2055 BC, a new dynasty rose to power and the Middle Kingdom began.  The leaders of the Middle Kingdom encouraged trade and made the routes safer, built fortresses along the Nile, and enlarged the kingdom. Around 1650 BC, the Middle Kingdom ended when the Egyptian army was defeated by the better-armed Hyksos (HIK SOS) from Syria.

The New Kingdom  The Hyksos ruled Egypt for almost 100 years before the Egyptians rose up and drove them out. The that defeated the Hyksos was led by nobles from Thebes. They became the new rulers of Egypt, and with this, the New Kingdom began.  During the New Kingdom, Egyptians realized that a permanent army and more land would help keep the kingdom safe. They attacked and took over Nubia, the Sinai Peninsula, and parts of Phoenicia and Syria.

The New Kingdom  The pharaohs of the New Kingdom made important changes in Egyptian society. Hatshepsut, one of the few women to rule Egypt, took power in around 1500 BC when her husband, the pharaoh died.  Around 1353 BC, the pharaoh Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaton, forbid the Egyptian people from worshipping many gods. He forced them to worship on the sun god Aten, and built a new capital, Akhenaten.

The New Kingdom  The very next Pharaoh, Tutankhamen, or Tut, restored Egypt’s worship of traditional gods and brought the capital back to Thebes.  Egypt enjoyed peace until around 1250 BC, when the Hittites from Mesopotamia invaded. Pharaoh Ramses II, also called Ramses the Great, eventually agreed to a truce. Ramses’ long reign of 60-plus years brought many political and artistic achievements, making him the most admired and famous pharaoh.

The New Kingdom  After Ramses, Egypt lost control of its empire and broke into small states. It was controlled by many foreign rulers. In the 330s BC, the Greek armies of Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and brought an end to its history as an independent kingdom.

Egyptian Religion  The Egyptians worshipped many gods. They believed that gods controlled natural events, such as the Nile flooding.  Some the Egyptians’ gods and goddesses were thought to have power over a small area or household bout some were worshipped by all. One of these was the god of the sun, first called Re (Ray), then when he was linked to the sky god, Amon or Amon-Re.

Egyptian Religion  Anubis, the protector of the dead, was also widely worshipped, as were the trio of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. Other important gods were Hathor and Thoth.  The Egyptians built temples to honor their gods and also to provide homes for them. Many temples featured obelisks, tall, thin pillars with pyramid-shaped tops. In the temples, priest performed rituals so that the gods would bring peace, prosperity and eternal life for their pharaoh. Common people had no part in these rituals.

Mummification and Burial  The Egyptians believed that when a person died, a life force called the ka lived on in the land of the dead. The Egyptians believed that the ka needed food and drink to survive, and that its physical body could not be allowed to decompose, or break down.  The Egyptians used mummification, or the making of mummies, to keep the body from decaying. In this process, all internal organs were removed except for the heart.

Mummification and Burial  Then, the body was packed to keep its shape, dried with salts, and wrapped in strips of linen. The outside was painted to look as it did in life so the ka could recognize its body.  Egyptians were buried with all the possessions they might need in the afterlife. Common people were buried with little other than food and drink for their ka.

Mummification and Burial  Egyptians were buried with all the possessions they might need in the afterlife. Common people were buried with little other than food and drink for their ka. Pharaohs and nobles were buried with treasures, statues of servants ( believed to come to life to serve the ka), and even chariots and boats. The walls of the tombs were often painted with stories about the mummy’s life or the gods.

Daily Life  Egyptian society was highly stratified, or layered. At the top were the pharaoh and the royal family. Other top Egyptians were government officials, priests and priestesses, scribes, military leaders, landowners, and doctors. The next level of society included artisans, craft workers, and merchants who made and sold goods such as jewelry and clothing.

Daily Life  About 90 percent of Egyptian society was made up of peasant farmers. They also helped build large public works such as pyramids, worked in mines, and served in the army. Egyptians also had a small number of slaves, mostly convicted criminals or prisoners of war. Sometimes, people could gain social status through education and better jobs, such as working as scribes.

Daily Life  Home life and quality of housing varied but most people lived as family units with the father heading the household. Egyptian women’s most important roles were as wife and mother, but they had more rights than women in most ancient civilizations. Nearly all children were educated. People enjoyed caring for their appearance, sports, and board games.

Art, Writing, and Science  Egyptian art is easily recognizable. Paintings are detailed and colorful. They often show people with torsos shown straight on, but with heads, arms, and legs shown from the side. Important figures are often larger than other people. Egyptian sculptures of gods or pharaohs are large, symbolizing the subjects’ power.

Art, Writing, and Science  The Egyptians’ main writing system was hieroglyphics, which used picture symbols to represent objects, sounds, and ideas. Papyrus, a reedy Nile plant, was used to make paper like sheets to write on. The Rosetta Stone helped historians decipher the Egyptian languages because some of the stone’s writing was in Greek.

Art, Writing, and Science  The Egyptians used math and science as tools to improve their lives. The Egyptians also made great advances in medicine. Through mummification, they understood human anatomy. Doctors used this knowledge to treat patients at their homes and in healing centers.

The Region of Nubia  Nubia was located south of Egypt along the Nile. Two rivers, the Blue Nile and the White Nile, flow together to form the Nile. The point where these two rivers meet served as Nubia’s southern boundary. Nubia extended north as far as Egypt’s southern border.

The Region of Nubia  Like the Egyptians, the Nubians depended upon the Nile, but not for farming purposes. Nubia’s landscape was too rocky to farm, but it was high in minerals. Its mines produced gold, granite, and precious stones that could be exported and sold. Its location made Nubia a place where goods bound for central Africa, Egypt, and the Red Sea passed.

The Region of Nubia  The Nubian people were skilled at pottery, trade, and archery. During the time of the Egyptian Old Kingdom, the Nubians formed their own kingdom, which grew wealthy from trade. Before long, Nubia and Egypt became rivals, competing for control of the same land and resources. During Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, Egypt conquered Nubia and the Nubians adopted some elements of Egyptian culture, such as religion and architecture.

The Growth of Kush  While northern Nubia was controlled by Egypt during the Middle Kingdom, a powerful Nubian state called Kush began to develop in the south. After the Middle Kingdom collapsed in around 1700 BC, Kush expanded its rule, taking over all of Nubia.

The Growth of Kush  The rulers of Kush made an alliance with the Hyksos, the invaders who had gained control of Egypt, ending the Middle Kingdom. When the Hyksos were in power, the Kushites kingdom became very wealthy. After Egyptian nobles drove out the Hyksos in about 1550 BC, Egypt conquered Kush and added its land to their empire. Egyptian rulers, including Ramses the Great, built temples throughout Kush.

The Growth of Kush  After the reign of Ramses the Great, Egyptian power over Kush declined. By about 1100 BC, Kush was free from Egypt. In around 750 BC, a new Kushite kingdom grew up. Its ruler, Piankhi, decided to expand the kingdom to the north, into Egypt. In the end, Piankhi conquered all of Egypt and declared himself pharaoh. The Kushites ruled Egypt until the mid-600s BC, when they were driven out by the Assyrians.

The Growth of Kush  The Kushite pharaohs saw themselves as guardians of Egyptian culture. They adopted Egyptian customs in art and architecture, built pyramids like those used in the Old Kingdom, and used the hieroglyphic writing system. The Kushites kept some of their own customs as well, such as clothing. Their pharaoh’s crown symbolized the union of Egypt and Kush.

Later Kush  The period immediately following the Kushite expulsion from Egypt is a mystery to historians. Knowledge of Kushite history resumes in the mid-200s BC, when the Kushites moved their capital city from Napata to Meroe ( Mer-oh-wee). Kushite culture changed greatly at that point.

Later Kush  Meroe was located within a triangle formed by three rivers, near a forest. The new capital was abundant in copper, gold, precious stones, and iron. Iron quickly became Kush’s most valuable resource, and it was shipped all over Africa. Money from the sale of iron funded new buildings and the expansion of the kingdom.

Later Kush  With the move to Meroe, Kush’s rulers abandoned many elements of Egyptian culture. They created their own alphabet and writing system, but historians have not deciphered it yet. Based on Carvings, workmen appear to have enjoyed a fairly high status in Kush. Many pyramids were built for women. Though this suggest that female rulers were common, historians have not been able to learn about their lives.

Later Kush  Meroe prospered until trade declined in the 200s AD, when it faced increased competition for iron and other goods. Its trade routes were disrupted by raids from hostile peoples. The Kushites also did not have enough wood for their forges in order to smelt, or extract, iron from ore. These factors led to Meroe’s decline. In about AD 350, the kingdom of Aksum, located in present-day northern Ethiopia, invaded and destroyed Meroe.